May they be called by my name, and the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac … — Genesis 48:16
Jacob blesses the sons of Joseph and gives them the highest gift, his own name and the name of his fathers.
I was a school bus driver when my wife was pregnant with our first son. We knew it was a boy, but we were having trouble deciding on a name. But one day as I was driving around in my school bus, with nobody on board, it came to me that our son should be named after his great-greatgrandfather Hans Burt who came to the United States from Norway in the middle 1800s. As an immigrant child in a single-parent family in the 1800s, our ancestor overcame much to become a man of God.
Our second son received my name.
By giving these boys their names, I am doing two things. I am looking into their future and calling into their lives everything that is good and wholesome and true about their family. And I am looking to God for the grace to pass on a name of honor. I am also taking a risk. I hope and believe that my boys will grow into honorable men, but I can’t guarantee that they will. What will they do with the family name? Ultimately, I don’t know.
One of the last things Jesus did before He departed was to give us His name. Carrying His name we are Jesus to this world. God risks the name of His Son on us so that He can call everything good about Jesus into our lives.
Be encouraged!
Dwight
Discoveries Devotional – Inspiration in Your Inbox is provided daily by
Dwight Clough Ministries, Inc.
1223 West Main Street #228
Sun Prairie, WI 53590 USA
Dwight Clough Ministries is supported by your donations.
Visit DwightClough.com for more information.